The Hotline is delighted to provide West Coast fans with a regular dive into the recruiting process through the eyes and ears of Brandon Huffman, the Phoenix-based national recruiting editor for 247Sports. He submitted the following report on Nov. 26 …
Cal needs a coach
The Bears fired Justin Wilcox on Sunday after nine seasons in Berkeley.
A few of their national commitments already had opened up their recruitments, but the regional impact of the coaching change was felt in the high school class of 2027, where Utah linebacker Broncs Baker said he was looking elsewhere — although the retention of Cal’s defensive staff could pull him back in the mix.
Several of the Bears’ 2026 pledges have declared themselves in wait-and-see mode, while others are adamant that nothing has changed.
That includes Colorado linebacker Jaxon Pyatt.
“I’m still committed to Cal,” he told 247Sports.
Hawaii quarterback Nainoa Lopes isn’t wavering, either.
“I want to thank coach Wilcox for believing and recruiting me,” he said. “He’s a good guy, and I wish him all the best on his career. I’ve been preparing for this since I verbally committed in June and plan to be in Berkeley in January ready to get to work.”
Fresno receiver EJ Morgan said he’s not changing his commitment at this point.
“Right now, I am still committed to Cal and would love to be a part of their program,” Morgan said.
Meanwhile, a second Fresno pledge, receiver Tyree Sams, is keeping options open while remaining committed.
“It caught me off guard,” Sams said. “I like the staff up there. I’m not sure what I’ll be do. I’m talking to my dad and mom about options.”
Hawaii offensive lineman Esaiah Wong was just as stunned.
“It was a shocker, for sure, but, for me, it doesn’t really change anything,” Wong said. “I talked with my position coach and we are all good.”
Utah receiver Kai Meza had flipped to the Bears after being a Minnesota commit, so he’s in fact-finding mode.
“It is stressful, but I still am committed,” Meza said.
All of the aforementioned players are three-star prospects, according to the 247Sports database.
Stanford: coach and QB pursuit
While Notre Dame’s visit on Saturday night concludes the Cardinal’s roller-coaster season, Stanford will enter 2026 with the Axe and a new coach.
The Big Game victory — it was Stanford’s first over Cal since 2020 — offered a bright spot for interim head coach Frank Reich as his stint helping general manager Andrew Luck comes to an end.
But a new coach is set to be announced very soon on The Farm.
Could a 2026 quarterback be next?
It hasn’t been fun for Stanford fans to watch former quarterback Bear Bachmeier elevate BYU this fall, especially with the Cardinal’s aerial doldrums.
But help could be on the way in local three-star quarterback Michael Mitchell Jr.
Mitchell plays for Archbishop Riordan High School in San Francisco and is a four-year starter who helped Riordan win a CIF-CCS Open Division title.
He committed to Vanderbilt in September 2024 and stayed strong. But Luck offered a scholarship in June and never stopped his pursuit. He even attended Riordan’s recent game at Kezar Stadium.
Mitchell de-committed from the Commodores late last week and, a day later, was at Stanford Stadium to watch the Cardinal beat Cal, his mother’s alma mater. (The Bears pursued Mitchell before his commitment to Vanderbilt.)
All signs are pointing to Mitchell signing with the Cardinal, and it could happen as soon as a coach is named.
UCLA: recruiting rebound
The morning the Bruins fired DeShaun Foster, they had a top-25 class in the 2026 recruiting rankings. But a slew of de-commitments followed.
That hasn’t stopped UCLA from rallying back into the top 50, with four commitments coming in the last week.
In fact, November alone saw six pledges for the Bruins, two of them previous commits who opened things up.
The most impactful was a re-commitment from Cooper Javorsky, the interior lineman from San Juan Hills (California) High School, where former Bruin star Sean Rhyan played.
Javorsky re-upped with UCLA before the home finale, just hours after NFL Academy of Europe linebacker Joel Queisser announced for the Bruins.
The day before they committed, Major Pride, the San Diego State commit from Nevada, flipped to the Bruins.
And the day after those two announced for UCLA, local edge rusher James Moffat flipped from Princeton.
Rivalry weekend brings prospects West
— Arizona State hosts Arizona this weekend in the Territorial Cup.
With the AIA Open Division semifinals scheduled for Saturday, the Black Friday kickoff should allow the Sun Devils to host several elite in-state prospects, including Basha High School teammates Noah Roberts, Jake Hildebrand and DaJohn Yarborough.
All three are top-10 recruits within the state.
Additionally, edge rusher Jalanie George, the No. 2 player in the country in the 2028 class — he plays for Desert Edge High School in Goodyear — is expected to attend.
— Washington welcomes Oregon on Saturday afternoon, but with the state semifinals throughout the day, several top prospects won’t be able to visit Husky Stadium.
The schedule does allow UW to host four-star quarterback Sione Kaho, the 2027 passer coveted by the Huskies and Ducks, and 2028 passer Jamar Howard from Fresno, who has an offer from Oregon but is high on Washington’s board, as well.
— Finally, USC hosts UCLA on Saturday evening and will have elite recruits in attendance, including 2027 standout defensive lineman Marcus Fakatou, safety Gavin Williams and cornerback Duvay Williams.
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